'Waste of space': Council slammed for response to 'blatant' parking violation
A Sydney council has been slammed for a blatant parking violation by a staff member, after a listener sent a photo to 2GB radio shock jock Ray Hadley last month.
Hadley explained the listener saw a vehicle parked in a disabled spot and checked to see if the vehicle had a permit.
When he realised there was no permit, he came back with a camera, snapped a few photos and sent them off to Burwood Council in Sydney’s inner west, hoping action would be taken as it was a council vehicle.
Mr Hadley said the concerned man got a response from council, along with an extract from the council’s ombudsman.
In a statement to Yahoo News Australia Burwood Council said the parking spot used to be a “dedicated Council vehicle parking spot”, and staff who parked there “out of habit” and were “unaware” the signage changed.
The statement said a warning had been issued to the driver and the council has asked staff to not park in the disabled parking spot.
“As soon as Council was made aware of the incident it referred the matter to the Internal Ombudsman for investigation,” the statement said.
The man who sent in the photo to the station said he actually got a parking fine last year for $572, when he parked in a disabled only spot and the permit, though in “clear view” was not in the permit holder, Mr Hadley said.
Council says it doesn’t issue fines ‘off a photo’
Burwood Council said in its statement that it does not issue fines “off the back of someone sending in a photo”.
“If a complaint is made to council regarding a parking matter a ranger is sent out to investigate and take appropriate action regardless of the owner of the vehicle,” the statement said.
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Mr Hadley slammed the council for not acting on the evidence provided to them.
“I’ve got listeners sending plenty of photos of other councils, and to the police and police issue fines, in fact, they encourage people,” Mr Hadley said.
Mr Hadley concluded by calling Burwood Council a “complete waste of space”.
Yahoo News Australia has reached out to Burwood Council for comment.
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